Things aren't looking good for the publisher.
Hot on the heels of news of Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ latest delay, Ubisoft has advised that it is taking “decisive steps to reshape the Group” and “pursue various transformational strategic and capitalistic options to extract the best value for shareholders”.
“Following the strategic and execution reviews initiated by the Executive Committee a few months ago, Ubisoft is taking decisive steps to reshape the Group in order to deliver best-in-class player experiences, enhance operational efficiency and maximize value creation,” the company wrote in a press release.
“Ubisoft announced today that it has appointed leading advisors to review and pursue various transformational strategic and capitalistic options to extract the best value for stakeholders,” it continued. “This process will be overseen by the independent members of the Board of Directors. Ubisoft will inform the market in accordance with applicable regulations if and once a transaction materializes.”
Ubisoft pointed out it is cost cutting already, using the closure of XDefiant as an example. The publisher also highlighted that “three production studios in high-cost geographies were closed”.
Reading between the lines, the company might be setting itself up for sale; rumours in late 2024 suggested that Ubisoft was in discussions with Chinese company Tencent.
“We made good progress on the strategic and execution reviews initiated a few months ago and are confident that this will position Ubisoft for a stronger future. We have taken decisive steps to reshape the Group in order to deliver best-in-class player experiences, enhance operational efficiency and maximize value creation,” said Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. “We also recently appointed leading advisors and are actively exploring various strategic and capitalistic options to unlock the full value potential of our assets. We are convinced that there are several potential paths to generate value from Ubisoft’s assets and franchises.
“Additionally, we are all behind our teams’ efforts to create the most ambitious Assassin’s Creed opus of the franchise and made the decision to provide an extra month of development to Shadows in order to better incorporate the player feedback gathered over the past three months that will enable us to fully deliver on the potential of the game and finish the year on a strong note,” Guillemot continued.
We’ll keep you informed as we learn more.
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